Apparatus for grounding telephone-wires.



P. T. HUDSON.

APPARATUS FOR GROUNDING TELEPHONE WIRES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 11, 1912.

Patented May 6,1913

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,in all the views 0 .tion inc PALMER '1. HUDSON, OF EVERTON, MISSOURI.

arrana'rus ron Gmea'sm TELEPHONE-WIRES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 11, 1912. Serial No. 708,919.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, PALMER T. HUDSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Everton, in the county of Dade and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Grounding Telephone-Wires, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in circuit breaking devices and more particularly to automatic circuit breakers, and the ob'ect of my invention is to provide a device w ich will, upon the passage of an abnormall heavy current through the. circuit in which it is included, break t e circuit.

A further object of my invention is to rovide a circuit breaker which not only reaks the circuit but which grounds the same.

A further object I have in view is the provision of a circuit breaker which not breaks the circuit if the current becomes too strong,'but which will automatically reclose the circuit. when the current becomes normal again. And a still further object of my invention is to provide a circuit breaker which may be readily adjusted to openthe circuit upon the passage of a current of any predetermined strength.

-With these and other objects in view, my invention will be more fully described, illustrated in the accompanyin drawing, then specifically ointed out in t are attached to and form a part of this application.

In the drawing: Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved circuit breaker; Fig. 2 is a central vertical section on the line 2-2 of .Fig. 3; Fig} a vertical section on the line 3- -3 of Corresponding and ike parts are referred to in the followin description and indicated the drawing by'the same reference characters. 'The udes a support 10, an electro-magnet 11 carried by the support and connected by one terminal to the circuit, a grounded contact 12 carried b the support, a second contact 1-3 mounts on the support and connected to the circuit, and an armature 14 electrically connected to the other terminal ing the of the magnet and normally enga e influsecond contact but movable under t =abl'e washer being block 20 and the e claims which referred embodiment of my inven-.

ence of the magnet into engagement with the grounded contact.

More s ecifically the body or support consists o a block of wood, fiber or other msulative material having a socket in which the magnet is seated and having a perforated plate 15 secured to its bottom by screws, 16 to provide means for mounting the device in position. Extending through opposite sides of this block and electrically connected by their inner ends to the terminals of the magnet coil, are binding posts 17 and 18. The contact 12 is secured to one side of this block by a set screw 19 which not only serves to attach the contact plate 12 in place, but also acts as a bindin post for the ground wire as will be hereina ter explained. The upper end of this contact plate extends slightly above the top of the block, as shown, for a reason which will later be apparent.

Mounted for vertical adjustment upon the opposite side of the support or blocklO is a second smaller block 20 also of insulative material, the upper end of which extends above the top" of the blocklO. This second block is mounted upon a set screw 21, the shank of which is passed through a vertical slot 22 formed in the block 20 and engaged in the block 10, a suitinterposed between the head of the screw. By loosening this screw, the block 20 may be raised or lowered to any desired extent within the limits of the slot 22 and then clamped in adjusted position by retightening the screw. 7

The upper end of the block 20 is provided with an internally threaded socket 23. The armature 14 of resilient metal is provided at one end with an aperture 24 greater in diameter than thesocket 23 and is positioned upon the block 20 with its aperture surrounding said socket, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing and with its free end extending over the pole of the magnet and beyond the same in such a manner thatwhen attracted by the magnet it will engage against the upper end of the contact p ate 12. Positioned over this apertured end of the armature, is a plate of insulative material 25 also apertured and mounted by one end upon this is the second contact late 13, said plate also being apertured. set screw 26 is passed .through the plate 13, insulator and armature 14 and threaded into the Patented May 6, 1913.

the first by means ofsocket 23, the head of the screw coacting with the plate 13 to form a binding post. The free end of the contact plate 13 is ex tended to normally bear against the armature 14.

A conductor wire 27 is secured at one end to the binding post 18 and its other end is clamped between the armature l4 and the insulation 25, being spaced from the screw 26 which is in turn spaced from the armature 14, thereby preventing all passage of current from the armature 14 to the plate 13 when the former is drawn into engagement with the contact 12. By adjusting the block 20, the armature may be moved toward or away from the magnet, thereby determining the strength of current, through the magnet, required to break the circuit between it and the contact plate 13.

In operation, the device is mounted in a suitable place and the contact '12 is grounded by a conductor wire 28. The line wire 29 is then attached to the binding post 17 and a wire 30 run between the binding post 26 and the instrument or other apparatus to be protected. Under normal conditions, the line current passing through the magnet is insufficient to attract the armature and the circuit remains closed. Should lightning strike the line however, or the current for any other reason become abnormally strong, the magnet will become energized suificiently to draw the armature out of contact with the contact plate 13 and into engagement with the contact 12, grounding the circuit. As soon as the current again becomes normal, the resiliency of the armature returns the same to its original position, a'gain closing the circuit.

The contact-plates l2 and Bare preferably provided with platinum pointed contacts, as shown, and the armature is provided with similar contacts to engage with the contacts of the plates.

The support may be of any desired shape and formed of any suitable insulating material.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A circuit breaker including a SHPPUL'L- 'ing block, an electro-magnet carried by the block, a second block adjustably secured to the first, an armature carried by the second block, electrical connection between one terminal of the magnet and said armature, and a contact plate normally in engagement with the armature.

2. A circuit breaker including a supporting block, an electro-magnet carried by the block, a second block adjustably secured to the first, an armature carried by the second block, electrical connection between one terminal of the magnet and said armature, a contact plate normally in engagement with the armature, and a' second contact plate carried by the block and adapted for engagement by the armature when the latter is attracted to the magnet.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

PALMER T. HUDSON. Witnesses:

M. .T. HAWKINS, DON 0. AnAMsoN. 

